Who Is Mark Cromwell in Guyana’s Missing Men Case

GUYANA · PROFILE

A former Guyana police officer under US drug sanctions has become the central figure in the disappearance of two Surinamese men. Here is what the record shows about him, and what remains unknown.

Mark Cromwell, a former Guyana police officer known as Demon, is the man at the centre of Guyana’s missing men case. Two young men from Suriname vanished after crossing toward Guyana on Saturday, 29 August, and they have not been found.

Cromwell matters to US readers because the US Treasury sanctioned him in June 2025 as an alleged violent drug trafficker. He has not been charged in Guyana over the disappearance, and his brother is the only person charged so far.

This profile follows our report on the detention of Cromwell’s relatives on 29 September. It also builds on our report on the abduction charge filed against his brother on 1 October.

Who Is Mark Cromwell in Guyana

The US Treasury’s sanctions list names him as Mark Cromwell, alias Demon and Diamond, born on 29 March 1982 in Guyana. It lists two addresses on Guyana’s East Coast of Demerara, at Lot 40 Vigilance and Lot 10 Buxton.

Vigilance and Buxton are neighbouring villages east of Georgetown, the capital, along the main coastal road. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Treasury’s sanctions unit, issued the designation on 5 June 2025.

In its press release of 5 June 2025, the Treasury called Cromwell “a former Guyana Police Force (GPF) officer.” It described him as “a violent drug trafficker and associate of Daby Jr.”

Paul Daby Jr, a Guyanese national, was sanctioned the same day over what the Treasury called a major drug trafficking organisation. The Guyana Police Force is the country’s national police service, which reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Why the US Sanctioned Him

OFAC designated Cromwell under Executive Order 14059, which targets foreign people involved in the global illicit drug trade. The order dates from December 2021 and lets the Treasury freeze assets without a criminal conviction.

The same action also named Himnauth Sawh, then a Guyana police officer and a former divisional commander. The Treasury added that Cromwell “is wanted by the GPF for his connection to the 2024 abduction” of a former officer.

Sanctions are a civil measure and do not amount to a criminal charge or conviction. Guyana police have not publicly said whether they have found or questioned Cromwell over the 2024 abduction.

How Cromwell Is Linked to the Missing Men

The missing men are Siegello Lorenzo van Dalen, 28, of Saramacca, and Derryl Danillo Bont, 29, of Wanica, two districts of Suriname. Police in both countries issued missing-person notices on Saturday, 19 September.

A police source said the men “were last seen alive when they joined a white vehicle registered in his wife’s name.” Demerara Waves, a Georgetown news site, carried that account, and Kaieteur News, a daily, also reported the car was his wife’s.

On Tuesday, 29 September, police said they were prevented from executing a search warrant at Cromwell’s house in Vigilance. Kaieteur News and Demerara Waves reported that police then held his wife and his brother.

The Charge Against His Brother

On Thursday, 1 October, Jimmol Murphy, 33, of Vigilance, appeared by video link at the Fort Wellington Magistrates’ Court. He is charged with abducting the two men at Rosignol, in West Berbice, on 29 August.

Demerara Waves identified Murphy as Cromwell’s brother, and Waterkant, a Surinamese news site, reported the same charge. Murphy was not required to plead and was granted bail of 1 million Guyana dollars (about US$4,800, Bank of Guyana rate).

His lawyers, led by Siand Dhurjon, say he was elsewhere at the time and that the men may have left Guyana. The case is due back at Blairmont Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 19 October, and a charge is not a conviction.

What It Means for US Readers

Under the sanctions, any property of Cromwell in the United States or held by US persons is blocked. Americans and US firms are generally barred from transactions involving his property, so banks screen for his name.

The case also matters to the large Guyanese diaspora in New York and to investors in Guyana’s oil boom. The Treasury says Guyanese networks it sanctioned ship cocaine from regional ports toward Europe and the United States.

What Is Not Known

The two men have not been found, and police have not said whether they believe the men are alive. Police have not said where Cromwell is or whether they want to question him in this case.

Demerara Waves reported that Cromwell’s wife has not been charged and remains on station bail, but police have not named her. No official has publicly linked the disappearance to drug trafficking or to the cases behind the US sanctions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mark Cromwell?

Mark Cromwell is a former Guyana police officer, born in 1982, known as Demon or Diamond. The US Treasury sanctioned him in June 2025 as an alleged violent drug trafficker.

Is Mark Cromwell charged over the missing Surinamese men?

No, police have not charged Cromwell in this case, and US sanctions are not a criminal charge. His brother, Jimmol Murphy, is charged with abducting the two men.

Why is he linked to the case?

A police source said the men were last seen joining a white car registered to his wife. Police later tried to search his house in Vigilance and detained his wife and brother.

What happens next?

Murphy’s case is due back before a magistrate on Monday, 19 October. The search for the two missing men continues in Guyana and Suriname.

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